5 Genius Ways to Dress Up Grilled Eggplant

Squeeze every last bite out of eggplant season with the help of these delicious and inventive toppings.

Eggplant turns tender and succulent when grilled over a medium flame (or an indoor grill pan) and has an earthy char that’s hard to resist, especially when your fork hits the melt-in-your-mouth interior. Finish it off it with any one of these five simple toppings (each with five ingredients or less), and watch the late summer staple go from side dish to centerpiece in no time flat.
First, grill the eggplant:
Heat grill to medium. Slice 2 medium eggplant to ½-inch thickness and season generously with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes, then rinse lightly and pat dry. Brush eggplant generously with olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Grill, turning once, until tender and nicely charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Then, try a sauce: